Hello everyone! Heyo! Welcome back to Scattering Flowers with Elise and Miles, a podcast where we read the daily Gospels and the Saint of the Day.
Let’s get started! Today is Wednesday, September 10th, and the Gospel reading is Luke 6, 20-26, and the scripture to reflect on is Luke 6, 21.
Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you that weep, for you shall laugh.
Have you ever had a time when you have been sad and you think it will be impossible to ever be happy again?
Sometimes you are so sad that in that moment you think the last thing you want to hear is cheer up or it’s going to be okay.
Maybe you hear someone laughing and it makes you more upset, or you just feel so alone in the moment, that’s sadness.
Well, I have one thing to say.
Jesus knows how you feel.
He was sad on the cross.
He saw his friends leave him while he suffered.
Jesus wants us to know that sometimes sadness is a part of our life here on earth.
Luckily, it is never part of our life in heaven.
Today’s Saint of the Day is St.
Nicholas Tolentino.
He was born in the year 1245 and died in the year 1305.
He is the patron saint of souls in purgatory.
St.
Nicholas Tolentino was born to a parent who prayed for children for many years.
His parents were childless until they visited the shrine of St.
Nicholas and asked for a son who would serve God.
Because of this, they named him after St.
Nicholas.
From the early age, Nicholas had a strong prayer life and acts of service towards others in need.
At the age of 18, he entered the order of the Augustan Friars and was ordained a priest.
He lived his life dedicated to God and with humanity and simplicity.
St.
Nicholas had a great devotion to the Eucharist and oftentimes fasted and prayed for the poor.
He had many visions of angels and saints.
He had many miracles and healings throughout his ministry.
He healed people of sickness and raised people from the dead and even had visions of the dead.
He once had a vision of a friend that had died that was asking for his prayers.
After this vision, he began doing masses dedicated to those in purgatory.
He then had visions that souls were released from purgatory due to his prayers.
St.
Nicholas died after a long sickness.
He is known as the saint of the holy souls.
When Jesus said blessed, he was giving God’s favor to those who listen.
God has plans to give joy and happiness to people who are struggling or sad right now.
Like St.
Nicholas, we can pray for others to believe in Jesus just like the saints are praying for us in heaven.
We can pray for those who haven’t quite made it into heaven.
Let’s pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dear God, thank you for your comfort when I am sad.
Thank you for helping me feel happy because you fill me with your love.
And help me to pray for others no matter what.
And for them to know that you’ve got them and care for them.
St.
Nicholas, pray for us.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you so much for listening.
We’ll be back tomorrow scattering more flowers.
See ya!